In the digital age, this is an era that has partly disappeared. In 2002, a magazine cover could still be an event and make an impression. This is the case for Sports Illustrated, the sports reference in the United States, on February 18, 2002. A 17-year-old high school student is in the photo, with a striking title: “The Chosen One.” His name? LeBron James.
More than 22 years later, the “King” is still there, but magazines have lost their impact in the face of the Internet and social media. Nevertheless, this cover is still as powerful as ever, and the jersey he wore for this cover, during a photo shoot two weeks earlier, from St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, is once again for sale.
Third sale in five years
It had already sold in 2019 for 187,500 dollars, and again in 2021, this time for 512,2000 greenbacks. There, we could reach the million mark, or even exceed it. “This historic jersey represents the pivotal moment in LeBron James' rise to basketball royalty”, comments David Goodmanthe boss of Julien's Auction, who is handling this auction, scheduled for September 27.
This cover and This item marked the history of the player – who bore the nickname of “The Chosen One” for a while – and of basketball. Even if at the time, journalists were aware that they were going very far. Maybe even too far…
“I was worried”said the late journalist Grant Wahl, author of the article, in 2017. “We were going to destroy this kid's life by putting him on the front page. It's one thing to do a story inside the magazine, but it's another thing to put him on the front page, with “The Chosen One” as the headline. Destroying his life is maybe a bit strong, but we knew that with this front page, his life would never be the same afterwards. The pressure would be even greater.”
